Who We Aim To Be
by BellaAndJakeForever
Summary: She never thought her life could change so drastically...until she met him.
1. Prologue

**Who We Aim To Be**

**Prologue**

It all started with an email. That was all it took. My sweet fan fiction best friend, Iliana, sent me an email with only a link in it.

How was I to know that it would lead to this?

I clicked on the link to my computer and found it was to a regular, teenager-based tabloid site, but the content was what confused me. The title to the page was 'Contest Entry'. I internally shrugged and started to fill it out.

**_Name: Elizabeth Melanie Bradley_**

**_Age: 19_**

**_Sex: F_**

**_Opinion on child abuse:…_**

What the hell? What did that have to do with anything.

I had been sexually abused as a child by my older brother. I know its sick, but its true. I was never physically abused as a child. I had a very good up-bringing other than my brother, Jimmy.

Everyone knew Jimmy wasn't mentally sound from the age of three when he jumped off a three story house into an empty built-in pool.

My family and I had always been completely against child abuse and always reported it when we saw it happening. My older brother, Howie, was a victim of child abuse because he lived with his dad, as was Jimmy and Clifford. My mom had been married more times than I can count on my fingers and only got pregnant by two guys. Jimmy and Clifford were from my dad only. Howie was only from my mom.

My mom risked everything to make sure I wasn't ever subjected to any kind of abuse. I am grateful to her for that much and make sure that she knows it everyday.

_**Parent's martial staus:…**_

You have got to be joking? Why would a contest want to know about whether my parents are married or not. Giving that it was an open-ended type of question I gave as much detail on my parents and step parents as I could.

I never really saw my dad by choice. He lived in Edmond, Oklahoma while I lived in Houston, Texas so it wasn't too hard to get around seeing him.

My mom got remarried a lot, but had been married to my current step-dad for about ten years. He was awesome. He was more like a dad than my real dad.

The crazy questions continued and they got even more crazy. I mean, why would they want to know these things.

The only normal thing they asked was my Skype account name.

Once I filed out the information and it was all said and done, a message popped on my screen that made my heart speed up impossibly and my hands get clammy.

**_Thank you for participating in our 'Video Date with Taylor Lautner' Contest. If you are chosen as the winner, you will be receive an email notification at approximately six o'clock on the night of your designated coversation with Mr. Lautner. In registering for our contest, you have obliged to our rule that you may not give away any information given to you by Mr. Lautner or you could be subjected to a lawsuit._**

**_Good Luck._**

_Gasp_.


	2. Chapter 1

**Who We Aim To Be**

**Chapter One**

He hated this. He didn't always hate these things. When he was with his friends, everything was perfectly fine. And for his mom, it went the same. With his dad, sister, and girlfriend?

That was a completely different story.

They didn't treat him right, but he just took it. He took it no matter how much it hurt him because he knew one day it would go away and be replaced with the love he desired.

He wanted someone to love him for exactly who he was and not who everyone thought he was. He wanted someone to call him on his shit. Someone who would truly care for him.

He was searching and searching and was sure to explode from the need to find that person to do that for him. Let it be a best friend or someone who was really meant to be with him.

Unlike this woman here.

She was a beautiful woman. Not really the Hollywood material of a woman. She was very heavy set, broad shoulders, about the same height as him. She had shoulder length blonde with a light skin complexion and light eyes.

Her eyes was what he had found to be the most beautiful thing about her. He did love her. That he had no doubt, but sometimes he caught himself wondering why she stayed around…like now.

"Damn it, Tay! I can't believe you are doing this shit in MY place!" He rolled his eyes when he was sure that she couldn't see. Julie was one of the closest friends he had. In the beginning of their relationship, she was perfect; everything he had hoped for, but with time, she soured. He had to face the truth. She was a good decade older than him so it made it difficult to keep their relationship going past the three years. It was his longest relationship, he had to admit, but it had become the hardest to keep alive.

He wanted them to work out, but she continued to cause him so much pain.

"You are the one who said I could." Nashville was not his first choice for doing this. He would have done it in the privacy of his own home, but she had practically begged him to fly across the country to be subjected to this abuse.

"I didn't know about this!" She lightly tapped the back of his head, but it was enough to hack at his fragile heart.

"Well, I'm sorry for that, but this is my job." She huffed and rolled her eyes as the ringing of the video chatting system went off. Before he could even look at the name, of course to make sure he would talking to the woman he was scheduled with, he clicked the word 'Chat' and that was when he saw her face for the first time.

Elizabeth Bradley.

He knew it had to be her. Who else would be calling this account that had such a gorgeous glow to her?

Her skin was a light ivory, very light compared to his dark tan. Her eyes were lighter than the woman sitting next to him who had faded from his vision. She had short hair, shoulder length, with child-like bangs. He thought she was beautiful.

"Hi," was all he could come up with to say and she lightly waved.

"Hello," A tiny blush covered her face, showing the heavy contrast it created on her skin. "Umm, hi." She looked to Julie in shock that it wasn't just him. He realized the slight hint of disappointment, but neither spoke of it. "I'm Elizabeth, but people called me either Liz or Lizzy." Julie could sense the attraction that he felt for this girl and reached over, slapping him across the back of the head. This caused Liz to lightly snarl at her as if she was a dog marking its territory.

_Who was she to hit him? He doesn't deserve to be hit like that!_ She thought to herself, anger filling her.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do. I'm going to bed." He waved her off as she walked off to her bedroom, making sure to slam her door.

"Who is that? One of your friends or something?" He shook his head and groaned. He could sense that it would be easy to talk to this woman so he went with his gut.

"No, she's my girlfriend. We have been together for a long time." She nodded and felt a twinge in her heart. She didn't have one of those strange obsessed fans type of thing. She only hated the fact that anyone would stay with anyone that would hit them. Even if its only a small tap. She could see the anger in it.

"Really? What's her name?"

"Julie." She nodded lightly.

"How did the two of you meet? I don't think I recognize her face." He nodded and leaned back in his chair, watching her face.

_God, she is SOO beautiful,_ he thought.

"We met at a Twilight convention a few years back." She nodded and popped a gummy bear in her mouth, sucking on it. He couldn't really tell what it was and was confused. "What are you eating?" She shrugged lightly.

"Candy. Gummy bears, LifeSavers, cherry drops…Those kinds of things. I'm not really a night person so the sugar helps to keep me awake." He thought that was kind of odd. She looked around his age.

"How old are you anyways?" She blushed heavily and he thought it fit her skin tone perfect.

_Beautiful._

"Nineteen. I turn twenty in June." He nodded lightly.

"I just turned twenty." She lightly giggled, throwing another gummy bear in her mouth.

"Yeah, I know." He lightly rolled his eyes, huffing to himself.

_Geez! Why does she have to be one of those?_ He thought.

"How would you know my birthday?" She lightly shrugged and ran her hand through her hair.

"Umm, well, its kinda something that is general knowledge in the world. Plus, I have followed your work for a long time." This perked him up.

_My work? What am I? A physiologist?_

"Really? How long?" She let out a small huff of air, lightly clicking her tongue. How to count the years?

"I've lost count of how many years. I'll put it this way, though. When I first started following your work, ummm, people thought I was complete loser to follow someone's career that had only been in one movie and they all thought your career would go nowhere, that you would only be known as Sharkboy. Years later, here we are and you have done way better than the people I knew thought you would." He had trouble keeping the smile off of his face.

"Wow" was all he could say or think of. She blushed.

"Sorry. That probably made me sound like a real babbling idiot, but its true." He lightly shook his head.

"You don't sound like a babbling idiot. I prefer people that aren't afraid to say what they are thinking." She nodded and twirled her finger around one of the keys on her keyboard, biting her lip.

"Do you also prefer that in your girlfriends?" This question caused him to blush heavily. No one had ever put in that way for him.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don't know. I just like people who are honest and can, kind of, make me laugh." She nodded and leaned back a little with her laptop in her lap.

"I think that's what everyone wants. I never date anyone who can't make me laugh. But, hey, I'm a spaz so its not every hard to keep me entertained." He couldn't help the laughter that escaped him. She was utterly surprised that he found her to be that funny.

"That sounds like something I would say." She flashed him her big grin and did a small dance in her seat, making him laugh even louder.

"I have finally finished my mission in life. I can die with my honor now." He had to laugh again at how goofy she was being.

"Where do you get your sense of humor?" She shrugged and bit her lip, taking a sip of her Coca-Cola.

"It would have to be my mom because my dad is soo SERIOUS." She made another goofy face when she said serious and it erupted another laugh from him.

"So your mom's laid-back?" She nodded and lightly yawned.

"Yeah. Are your parents like that?" There was the ignition of the heartbreaking conversation that would occur.

His eyes narrowed as sadness filled his heat and she feared she said something wrong.

"Di-did I say something?" He shook his head heavily.

"No, it's just…ahh." He didn't want to air out his laundry, but he also hated carrying this burden. He wanted someone to let him unload it without giving him the 'the past is the past. Get over it' card.

"Legally, I'm not allowed to take anything you say outside of this conversation so you can tell me anything." He gave her a small smile.

"I wouldn't want to burden you." She shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Trust me. It wouldn't burden me. If it makes you feel better, I can tell you something so you won't feel so bad." He nodded lightly. He didn't feel like she was babying him or pushing him too hard. It was usually one way or the other, but not with her.

"Sure. Go ahead, Liz." She blushed at the fact that he actually used her name.

"When, umm, I was between the ages of six and ten, ahh, my brother named Jimmy. He was about thirteen when I was six. He, umm, used to do very inappropriate things to me and threatened that if I ever told anyone, he would give my whole family Colombian neckties and make everyone think it was me responsible." He was completely dumbfounded. How could someone like this, someone who seemed so upbeat, have gone through such a tragedy as this? It was even worse, in very few ways, than what he went through.

"Really?" She nodded and looked away.

"My brother was very mentally ill. He tried to committ suicide at the age of three and is a raging alcoholic. No one believed me other than my mom and grandma when I finally told. Everyone else called me a liar and a sicko." He felt terrible for her and his heart ached for her.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and had a twinkle in her eye.

"Don't be. You can't change the past. If that is what it took to make me the person I am today, I do not wish to change the torture of it. We all have scars, emotional or physical, and that is what makes us human." He nodded and internally admired her strength. "So, I told you my sad story. Now, open up, Mr. Lautner." He lightly grimaced. He hated when people used his full name or called him Mr. Lautner. He wasn't Mr. Lautner. He was just…Taylor.

"Well, when I was young, I was physically and sexually abused." Her blank expression never faltered. "By my dad. It was why I got involved in martial arts, to defend myself." Her face was still blank, but she looked away, looking back after a moment.

"That can't be easy. I had it easy. I didn't have to live with the person who did that stuff to me. People get shocked when they find out that stuff happens, but it happens more often than people think. The only people I know that it has never happened to is my mom and my sister-in-law. They are some of the few lucky ones." He nodded as she had a tear fall down her face. He was concerned, but she shook her head. "Sorry. I get very emotional when I talk about these kinds of things. I hate it. I hate it with a passion. I don't understand how people can take their anger out on a child or look at a kid and find them arousing. It just disgusts me.

"I'm sorry. I know he's your dad, but it's disgusting." He was understanding of her opinion. He shared it with her, but he still loved his dad.

"Well, biologically, he isn't my dad. Technically, he is my adoptive dad." She nodded and sighed.

"Where is your real dad?" He just lightly shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. I have only seen him once in my life and that was enough." She nodded, giving him a small smile.

"I-it is possible that one day he may actually want a relationship with you." He just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right." He had sarcasm laced through his voice and it didn't really bother him, but it bothered her.

"I get to see my dad maybe once a year, if that. It's not that he doesn't want to, but I make him think I'm busy when…I'm not." This intrigued him. What kind of person would do that?

"Why do you do that?" She lightly shrugged and looked down at her hands, sadness etched in her features.

"My dad is not a nice person. Well, sometimes he isn't and I guess I just don't like that part of him that isn't a nice person enough not to be around him." He frowned at this.

"What about him is not nice?" She lightly gulped and hated to admit this.

"Well, he is, umm, for lack of a better word, ahh, racist." His eyes widened intensely. "He believes that if someone isn't 100% Caucasian that they aren't worth anyone's time. I don't believe that way so I don't like being around him." He was surprised by this. He had never known anyone that was actually that way, but he knew they existed in the world. Everyone knew, but he was baffled that this amazingly beautiful girl-scratch that-woman could share blood with someone that was.

"Is your dad the only one that is like that?" She sighed and shook her head.

"Two of my brothers are, but that is only because they were raised by him. I was raised by my mom and step-dad." He nodded lightly. He wanted desperately to get off the subject of family for now.

"Tell me something interesting about you." She lightly bit her bottom lip, then sucking it into her mouth.

"Well, umm, when I was about five, I started figure skating and kept doing it until I was fifteen. Right after I turned fifteen, I stopped." She shrugged and he was a little ecstatic.

"Why did you quit?" She lightly gulped and he noticed it.

"Umm, my niece, who was two years old, died. She had Brugada's Syndrome and died in her sleep." He was saddened by this. Children were one of his soft spots, but this was different. It saddened him that it hurt this girl-scratch that-woman.

They talked for hours. Hours about tragedy and triumph. Hours of laughter and tears. Hours of memories; happy and sad.

When she finally looked at the clock, it was two a.m. her time and groaned, rubbing her face.

"Damn! We have been talking for six hours. I pushed you over your limit. It was only supposed to be two." He lightly chuckled and shook his head.

He was tired, but didn't really care. He liked this girl, more than he should.

"I'm alright with it. I like talking to you." She heavily blushed and bit her lip.

"Thanks. I like talking to you, too. I have to go and check on my Mawmaw in the morning." He was a little visibly confused, which made her giggle.

"Your 'Mawmaw'?" She busted out laughing, clutching to her stomach.

"It's what everyone calls my grandma. My brother, Howie, couldn't say 'grandma' so instead it came out 'Mawmaw'. She is Mawmaw to everyone now." He smiled lightly to her, the corner of his mouth lightly lifting.

"When do you have to do that?" She shrugged.

"Nine. I doubt I will sleep, but I will try." He frowned and then gave her his classic pout.

"You leaving me already?" She lightly giggled and blushed.

"I have to sleep and I bet you do, too. You look like you haven't seen a bed in a month." He chuckled and rolled his eyes at her.

"Alright, then. You have convinced me, but I still don't agree." She rolled her eyes at him and gave him her pout.

"Please, Tay-Bear." He busted out laughing, falling out of his chair onto the floor. She gasped heavily in horror. "Oh, my god! Are you okay?" He slowly climbed back into the chair.

"'Tay-Bear'? Really, now?" She blushed and bit her lip obsessively.

"Sorry." He shook his head lightly.

"Don't be. That's a cute little nickname. It's better than the others I have heard." She laughed quietly so not to wake up the others in the house.

"You don't need to say anymore. I have heard some pretty…visual or vulgar… ones. They even made me cringe." He blushed heavily from the possible nicknames, but held his tongue on the matter, going to change the subject. He was instantly cut off by her. "You keep distracting me." He lightly chuckled and gave her his signature smile. "I'm going to go before you offer another distraction." He chuckled and smiled at her.

"It was nice talking to you, Liz." She blushed and nodded.

"Same to you. Goodnight, Taylor." His heart warmed intensely from the affection in her voice.

"Goodnight, Lizzy." They both bit their lips and hung up the video chat in sych.

"Jesus H. Christ." They both spoke in unison as they pushed their laptops off to the side. Liz felt so impossibly happy that she got the chance to talk to him, but the fact that she would never do it again made her want to cry her heart out. He, on the other hand, was so intrigued by her that he knew he couldn't give her up. She was extraordinary and was practically the same as him, other than the fact that he was a guy and she was a girl.

They had been through such similar experience that they already knew a lot about each other. They had only talked SIX HOURS! He couldn't give up the connection he had with her. He didn't care what it cost, which was odd for him. His career was always number one, but this was different. She was different and she already had his heart.

Little did he know, he had hers, too.

_**A/N: So, how was that? Did it surprise anyone? What do you think of Julie? Maybe she has an underlying reason for the way she treats Taylor? What about Liz? What are your thoughts on her character? Above all, how was my impression of Taylor? Did I do him good?**_

_**I must say that I am not basing this on facts, not all of it anyways. I do not know if Taylor was physically or sexally abused in real life. The ony one who would know that would be him. I'm not throwing accusations at anyone, but its not too far-fetched by looking at Daniel Lautner and Taylor and seeing that he could easily over-power him. Probably even now. **_

_**This story is not meant to offend anyone. I do not condon physical or sexual abuse. I went through both as a child and a teenage so don't think that way. **_

_**Once someone is touched against their will, something is stolen from them that they can never get back so do NOT leave a review saying that it's disgusting for a grown man- or woman- to touch a child, because, for the last time, I DO NOT CONDON IT!**_

_**Thank you so much for reading. Please, everybody! Stop and leave me a review. That's not too much to ask? Just one review. It would give me inspiration and make me so happy if I got a bunch of reviews for this chapter. Thanks!**_

_**This account is for the stories that Erica Elizabeth Black and Marie O'Grady A.K.A. 7 Ace write together.  
**_


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